In 1977, a technology expert flees from a mysterious past and returns to his hometown of Recife in search of peace. He soon realizes that the city is far from being the refuge he seeks.
Following on from last year’s ‘I’m Still Here’, my favourite film of 2025, comes another critically acclaimed Brazilian film that has secured a Best Picture nomination at this year’s Oscars. ‘The Secret Agent’, directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho, stars Wagner Moura as Armando, a university professor caught up in the political turmoil of Brazil’s 1970s military dictatorship, circumstances that ultimately force him into hiding in the northern coastal city of Recife.
After a darkly comic opening at a rural petrol station, Armando arrives in Recife during carnival, where he finds refuge in a safe house run by Dona Sebastiana, memorably played by Tânia Maria, alongside other political dissidents. Through this underground network he secures a job at a city identity card office under the alias Marcelo, allowing him not only to survive, but to see his young son Fernando, who has been living with his grandparents following the death of his wife. As the film unfolds, more of his past is revealed through flashbacks, while parallel scenes show shadowy figures hiring hitmen to track him down.
Running alongside this serious political narrative is an unusual subplot involving a severed human leg that goes missing after a shark attack, a bizarre detail drawn from real media reports of the time. It’s hyper-stylised, almost grindhouse in tone, and it both blends with and clashes against the central story, which itself isn’t afraid to digress into the backgrounds of fellow dissidents, university politics and even a brief look into the future. Yet these detours often prove just as compelling as the main thread, giving the film an fast paced, unpredictable quality. Aesthetically, Mendonça Filho captures 1970s Brazil with striking detail, and despite its near three-hour runtime, I could happily have spent longer in this world.
Wagner Moura delivers one of the year’s strongest performances, playing Armando with an intensity that brings out both his determination and his vulnerability. What makes ‘The Secret Agent’ stand out is its rough edges and its biting social commentary, that enables it to blend serious political drama with stylish direction. It’s tense, darkly funny and bold, and it perfectly reflects the paranoia and moral compromise of the era, resulting in a very entertaining film that I was completely immersed in.
Rating: 4/5
Directed By: Kleber Mendonça Filho
Starring: Wagner Moura, Carlos Francisco, Tânia Maria, Robério Diógenes, Maria Fernanda Cândido, Gabriel Leone, Alice Carvalho, Hermila Guedes, Isabél Zuaa and Udo Kier
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